Discussion topic guidelines: Bible and Lifestyle

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Each semester at Kansas State University, I audit one class that interests me. This means I attend the lectures but do not take the tests, pay the money, or get the credit. Why do I do this? It is because there is so much to learn and understand.

Jane and friend welcome students to KSU. “Show us where you are from.”

This semester I am taking Cultural Anthropology. One of the lectures was devoted to communication, and in particular, communication between genders. This is where I was introduced to “genderlects,” a theory suggested by Deborah Tannen, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The word, “genderlects,” is a combination of the word dialect and gender and as the word suggests, genders communicate in a certain dialect with each other.

Our students at the Conversation Cafe wanted a discussion guide about gender. But where to begin? So, I narrowed it down to the topic of communication between genders. Then I wondered, are Tannen’s findings uniquely American or do people all over the world experience the same phenomenon? If you try this discussion, you will have to let me know what you find. What we experienced was that men and women generally communicated in the same style all over the world. What will you discover?

The lifestyle discussion, “Gender Roles in Communication,” is found under “Lifestyle Topics.” Also, you might be interested in the topic of “Politically Correct Ways of Speaking.” People from all over the world found the American fascination with this subject baffling and amazing.

On the Biblical side, check out the Biblical perspective on gender roles and how Jesus views and values people of different racial and economic backgrounds. The title of these guides is, “Understanding Gender Relationships in the Bible,” and “Jesus Loves People of Every Race, Gender, and Economic Status.”

This photo of Arnaldo, from Puerto Rico and myself, taken this summer, reminds me, to help our friends who are suffering from hurricane devastation. Let’s be as generous as possible and give to your favorite organization to help families rebuild their homes and lives.

Recently I listened to a TED Talk by Ann Lamott. In speaking about the work of writing, she suggested that part of the battle to write is to stay in your chair. For me, that means not letting myself be distracted by the lure of going outside to work in my garden. However, today I decided to stay seated until I accomplished the task of posting new games for my website. Why? Because the new games listed, number 19- 26 are really fun. I hope you try them out.

I should tell you I did not make up these games. No, they came from Hannah, a student/friend of mine from Malaysia. They are games she played with her college friends. I sure am glad she shared them with us.

Are they laughing or crying? The photo has nothing to do with the new games listed. It is a reminder of how much fun people have playing games.

keeps people happy. When we acquire new knowledge, it expands our understanding. Greater understanding gives us the patience to cope with difficult times or situations. For example, when we learn to play the piano, not only do we gain a new skill, but our understanding of how music works gives us new pleasure in listening to other kinds of music. When we learn facts of history, we begin to understand ourselves and attitudes in new ways.

With the advance of the internet, it seems learning is easier than ever before. Gone are the days of planning trips to the library to begin researching whatever is of interest to you: cooking, art, biographies, science. Here are the days of instant accessibility. Enter the world of online learning. My favorite online learning comes from the Khan Academy. The Khan Academy is a supplement to other classes I take and fills in my educational gaps. I love how topics are simply and logically laid out. Math, science, computer programming,
economics are a few of their offerings. I think you will be pleased. https://www.khanacademy.org/about

Another resource I recently discovered is grammarly.com It is a free online grammar check for spelling, punctuation, and verb tenses. For a monthly fee, it will provide a complete writing critique. I have found that no matter how often I proofread, I miss something. Grammarly.com is helpful to me and to students new to English.

Conversation Art Cards were created to stimulate meaningful and interesting conversation with English language learners using famous works of art. On one side of the card is the painting with notation as to the artist, title of the painting, dates, and location. Before one turns the card over to begin a topic of discussion, the participants engage with verbal observations about the art.

There is not really a right or wrong answer and one does not have to have a background in art to make observations! Noticing facial expressions, lighting, interactions, and halos is all part of the process. I think you will be surprised what people notice and perceive.

The flip side of the card suggests a conversation topic with four questions. The first two questions asks about a person’s experience or opinion. The third question give a quote and the fourth question brings the painting back into the discussion.

I don’t think you will be disappointed with the conversations these cards bring, nor with the pleasure of looking and commenting on art, even if you’ve never before had these kinds of discussions. I recommend that you stay on this website and click on the tab named, “Conversation Art Cards,” read the introduction, and then click on one of the cards. See what you think!

I first took notice of mosaics two years ago when I was in the Museum of Natural History in London. It was the floor that caught my attention. Simple contrasting colors, pieces of different sizes and shapes, all fitted together to make wonderful designs
of imagination and order.

You will notice the new photo behind the headline of this website. Hands of various sizes and colors are assembling a paper mosaic. The photo was taken at the Bridges International Vision Conference, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The paper mosaic event symbolizes the beauty that arises when people of different races, languages, and nations work together.

The International Conversation Cafe website offers resources for people all around the world learning English as a second language. You will find discussion guides on all sorts of topics to help conversations flow. This is not a site that offers technical English grammar lessons, though there are some recommendations for that under resources. There are also some great games for fun ways to connect using English.

The old photo headline for this website was a picture from a remote mountain lake. I originally chose this photo because it reminded me of travel and travel usually means meeting people from other places. But the idea of mosaic fits this website better. You will notice that the headlines on the discussions guides are being changed to a simple font with no photo in the background.

Thanks again for visiting my website. I hope you find the contents helpful. I always welcome your comments and suggestions at kansasjfox@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered where good ideas come from? Sometimes, they seem to come out of nowhere, like a virus. Then you learn that someone else had the same good idea. Are ideas airborne?

At a weekly English conversation group for women, I brought my box of idiom cards. What to do with them? Well, you can read the idiom, read the explanation, and then use the idiom in a sentence. However, this structure seemed a little boring to me. So out of thin air it seems, I had an idea. “Let’s read the idiom and then without reading what it means or where it came from, let’s all write about three sentences to explain the idiom.” Enter humor! The stories were entertaining and we voted for the story we liked best, whether it reflected the meaning of the idiom or not. For example, take the idiom, “spick and span.”

“Once upon the time, there was a fireworks display that was amazing. There were all sorts of bursts of light at unexpected moments accompanied by loud booming noises. The colors were, ‘spicktacular,’ as the span of fireworks spread across the horizon. Truly, the display was, ‘spick and span.'”

I think you have the idea. And my idea, to make up stories for idioms? I later realized that the game, Balderdash, asks contestants to make up meanings for unusual or seldom recognized words. So no, my game for idioms did not come from thin air. I had a previous experience that came to the forefront of my mind at just the right time.

Have you ever considered the value of play, of doing something for no other apparent reason than the pleasure it brings? Children have no qualms about engaging in this sort of fun. From play acting with each other, to games of chase or tag, to singing or dancing, the main motivation is fun. Of course they learn from their play. But that is not the goal.

Activity for fun’s sake is also essential for adults. Obviously, there is an element of sophistication and planning about it. The games we play are more complicated and the activities we do may take more planning than what children’s spontaneity requires. It takes planning to go camping or canoeing or to join a sport’s team. Yet the necessity of such play is the same for people at any age.

The enjoyment of fun times and activities are heightened when someone enters in with you, regardless of language barriers. This spring semester we have emphasized fun. We have taken our international friends sledding, made breakfast for dinner, played group games, learned Contra Dancing together, and watched, The Martian.

Did anyone’s English improve because of it? Who knows? But the feeling of camaraderie and shared experience helps everyone relax.